2nd coronavirus death in Ridgefield; cases exceed 50 in Danbury area

The hospital chain Nuvance Health, which includes Danbury Hospital, announced March 8, 2020 that it was suspending its volunteer program due to fears over the coronavirus.

The hospital chain Nuvance Health, which includes Danbury Hospital, announced March 8, 2020 that it was suspending its volunteer program due to fears over the coronavirus.

Photo: Tyler Sizemore / Tyler Sizemore

Photo: Tyler Sizemore / Tyler Sizemore

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The hospital chain Nuvance Health, which includes Danbury Hospital, announced March 8, 2020 that it was suspending its volunteer program due to fears over the coronavirus.

The hospital chain Nuvance Health, which includes Danbury Hospital, announced March 8, 2020 that it was suspending its volunteer program due to fears over the coronavirus.

Photo: Tyler Sizemore / Tyler Sizemore

2nd coronavirus death in Ridgefield; cases exceed 50 in Danbury area

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State and local officials are working to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Connecticut as the number of cases continues to rise

Two Ridgefielders have now died, with the second death announced Monday, and that town has 15 people who have tested positive for the pathogen.

The novel coronavirus surfaced in China late last year and has since spread to more than 170 countries.

Seven weeks after the first reported case of the virus in the United States, a middle-aged Wilton man tested positive March 9 and became Connecticut’s first confirmed case.

Today, the number of cases in Connecticut is at 415— with 10 deaths as of Monday afternoon.

As the virus spreads, local leaders like New Fairfield First Selectman Pat Del Monaco continue to stress the importance of social-distancing.

“We enjoy the company of other people, so it’s really hard to come to grips with the idea that we can’t do that right now,” Del Monaco said, “but we have to remember that this is our best shot at protecting those who are vulnerable in our community, and also our best shot at not overwhelming our healthcare system.”

There were no confirmed COVID-19 cases in the towns of Bridgewater, Kent, Roxbury, Sherman or Washington as of Monday afternoon — but the same could not be said for the other towns in The News-Times coverage area.

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The city of Danbury has 15 cases, according to the state Department of Health.

Danbury was home to Connecticut’s first connection to the virus on March 6, when a New York resident who worked at Danbury and Norwalk hospitals tested positive.

Since last week, Danbury Hospital has offered drive-thru testing.

New Fairfield

The number of confirmed cases in New Fairfield jumped from one to five over the weekend.

The first confirmed COVID-19 case in New Fairfield was reported Friday. Two days later, First Selectman Pat Del Monaco announced that five people in town had tested positive. The state Department of Health reports four cases, however.

Additional information on the patients, such as age, has not been released.

Bethel

There are five confirmed cases in Bethel, according to the state Department of Health.

Town officials said they learned of the first cases on Saturday, but the state did not release the patients’ names, addresses or other identifiable information.

The residents are being treated by their personal care physicians and are following the isolation and treatment guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the town said.

Southbury

Southbury has two COVID-19 cases. The second patient, announced Saturday, is in his or her 60s. The age of the first patient was not released.

Newtown

A woman from Newtown tested positive for the virus on Sunday, becoming the town’s first and only confirmed COVID-19 case.

The infected resident, who is between 25 and 49 years old, has been in quarantine and receiving treatment at home, according to the Newtown Health District.

Brookfield

Five more cases were confirmed since last week in Brookfield, bringing the town’s total to eight.

Ivy Rehab Network sent an email to patients this weekend informing them a staff member who had been to the Brookfield clinic within the past two weeks has tested positive for coronavirus.

They said people and staff who came in contact with that person during their visit have been quarantined, and the entire office was closed and deep cleaned along guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before reopening on Monday.

New Milford

New Milford is now up to two confirmed cases, after another person was confirmed this weekend.

Ridgefield

Two Ridgefielders have now died of COVID-19, and the town has 15 “active cases” of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

“The number of people we have who’ve passed in our town is now two,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi said.

The death toll’s increase to two — a Ridgefield man died last Wednesday — was announced by town officials in a streamcast to the town at 4 p.m. Monday, March 23.

“The people who died are both in their 80s,” Health Director Ed Briggs said.

On March 18, an 88-year-old man from Ridgefield became the first coronavirus death in the state. The man was a resident of Benchmark Senior Living on Danbury Road. He died from severe complications from COVID-19 at Danbury Hospital, according to Gov. Ned Lamont.

Redding

The town’s first and only case was announced on Monday afternoon by the state Department of Health.